Starting 9
1) Missouri State (23-16, 11-4 Missouri Valley Conference) puts it nine-game conference win streak on the line this weekend when Valparaiso (16-16, 7-8) comes to town for a three-game set at Hammons Field. The Bears and Beacons meet at 6:30 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
2) MoState is 16-1 all-time against Valpo, the lone loss in extra innings in the 2021 MVC Tournament.
3) The Bears have homered in 31 of 39 games this year and 49 of the last 57, with 104 total in that span which included a 29-game streak from May 7, 2022-March 10, 2023. MSU has also tallied three or more extra-base hits in 28 of 39 games, with eight or more on four different occasions. The Bears lead the MVC in doubles, homers and slugging, ranking in the top 62 nationally in all three categories, and average 4.05 extra-base hits per contest.
4) The Missouri State leads the MVC in total strikeouts (370) and strikeouts per nine innings (9.55), the best rate in school history (9.10 in 2016 is 2nd), ranking 55th nationally in the latter category.
Brandt Thompson (67) and
Hayden Minton (63) rank 1-3 in the MVC in strikeouts.
5) Third-year sophomore outfielder
Spencer Nivens earned preseason all-MVC honors this season after a Freshman All-America season in 2022, and has continued his high level of play to rank among the MVC's top three in average, slugging, runs, hits, triples and total bases. Nivens hit for MSU's first cycle since 1998 on Feb. 24 against Central Arkansas.
6) Missouri State freshman outfielders
Zack Stewart and
Taeg Gollert have made an immediate impact this season. Stewart is hitting .331 with eight home runs and owns the MVC lead in doubles (15) and RBI (43). Gollert hit two grand slams vs. Bradley on April 9 and has 20 extra-base hits and 31 RBI.
7) MSU is 453-318 in its 33rd MVC season with six regular season titles. Since 2015, the Bears have won more combined regular season titles (3-2) and tournament championships (3-1) than the rest of the league's current membership combined.
8) The Bears have won nine consecutive MVC games, the program's longest streak since winning 22 straight in 2016 and 2017. Over the last nine league games, MSU is hitting .337 and slugging .585 with a 3.35 ERA.
9) Head coach
Keith Guttin ranks second among active coaches and 13th overall with 1,363 career wins. Among active skippers, Guttin trails only Danny Hall of Georgia Tech (1,370).
Series History
MoState is 16-1 all-time against Valpo, the lone loss in extra innings in the 2021 MVC Tournament.
    The Bears have swept the Beacons in all four league series since VU joined the league for the 2018 season, are 1-1 in MVC Tournaments, and 2-0 in the Mid-Continent Conference tourney in the 1980s.
    The teams have played only five times at Hammons Field, as two of the four games in the 2021 series were moved to Ozark, Mo., due to a combination of weather and sharing Hammons Field with the Springfield Cardinals that weekend.
Last Time Out
Missouri State took down seventh-ranked Arkansas by an 8-4 final Tuesday at Hammons Field, beating the Razorbacks for a second consecutive season.
Taeg Gollert doubled twice, including a two-run hit in the third inning, and Anthony added a two-run homer in that six-run third.
Trey Ziegenbein followed with three perfect innings in relief, and four MSU pitchers combined for nine strikeouts and one earned run allowed.
